Tim Grobaty: Taking the long view of upcoming Long Beach events

THINKING AHEAD: Because we're paid kind of a lot of money to think, we do it as often as we can. If you think it appears we're just lying around with our feet on the furniture, it's because you don't get paid to think, otherwise you'd know what we're doing.

Anyhow, here's our latest thought: What if, when we go on vacation next week, we get hit by a train? Then we got to thinking, "Why does it have to be a train? Why can't we fall off a balcony or die by bringing a knife to a gunfight?"

So, we have to prepare for the worst, and with that in mind, we're giving you a couple of items today about things that'll be going on far, far into the future - as far as October.

We'll start with the one thing everyone demands from us each summer: the schedule for the Long Beach Municipal Band's series of free concerts in the parks.

This is the 103rd year for the band, and budget slashing continues at a brisk pace, so we all have to act like it's the MuniBand's last series. No more taking it for granted.

Here's how it's scheduled to go in this year's abbreviated five-week season.

Marine Stadium, Appian Way between Second and Colorado streets: July 5, July 12, July 19, July 26 and Aug. 2.

Bixby Bluff, Ocean Boulevard at Cherry Ave.: July 17, July 24. July 31.

All shows are at 6:30 p.m. and are free.

THE LONG BEACH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: We're not going to go into full-on "something for everyone" mode in describing the summer's slate for the Long Beach Arena and the Center and Terrace Theaters, but there's something for many people, including little kids, aged rockers, jam-band lovers, hulaphiles, and lovers of comedy ranging from shocking to lesbian to clean.

The summer's worth of fare starts Friday, with "Sesame Street Live" coming to the Terrace for seven shows in three days. Showtimes are 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 Saturday; and 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $15 to $85. You just need to balance your wallet with how much you love your children.

Kathy Griffin, always a big draw in Big Town, will bring her smartly offensive comedy act to the Terrace on June 23 for two shows - 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets go from $39.50 to $55.

Comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer will do her lesbian-tinged comedy in the cozy Center Theater at 8 p.m. July 28. Tickets go for $22.50 to $55.

A lineup of comics who had their mouths washed out with soap in their formative years will prove you don't have to work blue when the Platinum Elite Clean Comedy Experience comes to the Center Theater at 8 p.m. Aug. 4. Tickets are $12 to $30.

The band that plays forever, Phish, brings its reunited self to the Arena at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15. It's festival style! All seats or places to stand are $60.

All things Polynesiana come to the annually popular E Hula Mau Polynesian Festival in and around the Terrace Theater Aug. 31 through Sept. 2. Some events/shows are free, others require a ticket with prices ranging from $21 to $35.

The Terrace reverts back to the kids when Disney Live presents "Phineas & Ferb" for three shows on Sept. 29 and 30. Prices range from $20 to $65.

We close our little swing through the entertainment complex with a show billed fairly descriptively as "Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Plays `Thick as a Brick 1 & 2."' Tickets range from $40 to $85.

TRIBUTE ROCK: Long Beach's always-great Summer and Music season is coming up, with the kick-off Battle of the Tribute Bands returning to Rainbow Harbor on June 30. We'll have more on that if we survive our vacation. For a look farther down the road, the Orange County Fair's impressive lineup of tribute rockers has been finalized.